Skip to main content
OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 21ST 2017

THEME: SAUL BROKE THE PRIDE BARRIER

Memorise:

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. Psalm10:4

Read: Acts 9:1-11

9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

9:8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

9:9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.

9:10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.

9:11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

Message:

Yesterday, we considered the need to fast often in order to maintain the Spirit’s control over the desires of the body. Today, let’s consider another reason why we need to fast often, which is, to submit ourselves to God in humility (James 4:6-7). David had this understanding and that was why in Psalm 35:13 he said,
“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.”

Whenever you find yourself becoming haughty, too full of yourself or looking down on others, you need to declare a fast so as to subdue the rise of pride in your life. Those who live in pride are distant from God. Even when He makes attempt to reach such people, it will be very difficult because they have built a fence of pride round themselves. One major reason why some people don’t accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, even after witnessing His power and miracles, is pride. This is why you need to pray against the spirit of pride hindering the salvation of your loved ones.

Let us take a look at the life of Saul of Tarsus and learn some lessons from him. He was a very zealous and intelligent young man who wanted to please God, but he was proud. Meanwhile, God had been trying to reach out to him, but the fence of pride he had around him kept God out. Do you know that pride directs? If you are proud, it will direct you in the way you go about things, in what you do and what you don’t do. Whenever faith is combined with pride, at best you will get religion. As Saul tried to serve and please God in the atmosphere of pride, he drifted further away from the One he thought he was pleasing, to the point where he began to fight the One he was supposed to satisfy. Pride blindfolds its victims. It makes a person work against what he or she is originally set out to do or stand up for. It wasn’t until Jesus manifested Himself to Saul that he realized he had been working against the God he thought he was serving. Nevertheless, after he humbled himself with fasting and prayer for three days, he received salvation, healing of his blind eyes, baptism of the Holy Spirit, and a divine call of God to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. If only you can submit yourself to God in humility through prayer and fasting, you can connect with God’s purpose for your life.

Prayer Point:

Father, let all my loved ones who are separated from you through pride, overcome this barrier and yield completely to your will today.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Acts 1-2
Jeremiah 33:1-11

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 6: DEEPER, DEEPER

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
More of grace to know.

Refrain:
Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
And higher every day,
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In Thy precious, holy Word.

2. Deeper, deeper, blessed Holy Spirit,
Take me deeper still,
Till my life is wholly lost in Jesus,
And His perfect will.
[Refrain]

3. Deeper, deeper! though it cost hard trials,
Deeper let me go!
Rooted in the holy love of Jesus,
Let me fruitful grow.
[Refrain]

4. Deeper, higher, every day in Jesus,
Till all conflict past,
Finds me conqu’ror, and in His own image
Perfected at last.
[Refrain]

5. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
Holy faith and true;
In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
Let me peace pursue.
[Refrain]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

DAY 21 OF RCCG 40-DAY FASTING AND PRAYING PROGRAMME (31st January, 2017) PRAYER GUIDE 1. Intense praise and worship. 2. Father give us the grace to please you in all that we do in this year 2017. 3. Father give us the grace to wake up and win souls, attend House Fellowships, Digging deep, Sunday Services and other church programs regularly in this year, 2017. 4. Father, help us to be faithful in honouring you with our first fruit, giving our tithes and offering regularly throughout this New Year 2017. 5. Father arise, and show yourself mighty on our behalf and on the behalf of our parishes and family members. 6. Father, arise and help me to stir up the giant in me. 7. Father help me to recover all the lost grounds in this New Year 2017. 8. Father help me to forever be relevant and never become a man of yesterday. 1Sam. 16:1. 9. Father have mercy on me and reverse every irreversible in my life this year. Ezek. 37:1-12. 10. Father, you are the help of the helpless, help us to ...
Prayer Points on Today's Open Heavens: ( Wednesday, June 21, 2017) - WHY HUNGER? 1.Thank you, Father, for the assurance of your provisions for me, as your sheep. 2.Father, in anyway, l have fallen short of your glory, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name. 3.Father, in anyway, l have violated, your principles of financial abundance and breakthrough, like, tithing, offering, first fruits, etc, please, have mercy and forgive me, in Jesus' name. 4.Father, let every spirit of slothfulness in my life, be destroyed by your fire, in Jesus' name. 5.Father, let every garment of lack and poverty, in my life be removed and burnt to ashes, in Jesus' name. 6.Father, as from today, let me never default, in the payment of my tithes and first fruits, as at when due, in Jesus' name. 7.Father, as l faithfully discharge my financial obligations to you, let the heavens over my head be opened perpetually and let your immeasurable blessings be poured upon m...

Who’s Who in Hell by Kenneth E. Hagin

Everyone will face  eternity one day. The righteous enter “life eternal” Matt. 25:46 , and the unrighteous are cast into hell or the lake of fire Rev. 20:15 . The lake of fire is the final dwelling place for those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life  Rev. 20:15 . We should thank God for the revelation His Word gives us concerning Heaven. If we are in Christ, we are Heaven-bound!  We should also thank God for what scripture says about hell . Those who haven’t made Jesus their Lord are not  Heaven-bound. Christians need to reach these people with the Gospel. We must let them know there is a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Who’s Who There once were books that listed people who achieved a degree of prominence in the arts and sciences, in business, and in various professions. Sometimes it’s interesting to know “who’s who” in life. The Bible also gives us a “who’s who” in hell, so to speak. Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) 8. But t...